Game apparatus.



C. B.v0CONNOR.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED' JUNE 2T, ISIS.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

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CLARA B. OCONNOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

I! GAME APPARATUS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application filed .Tune 27,' 1916. Serial No. 106,232.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLARAYB. OCoNNoR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

rIhs invention pertainsrto game yapparatus, designed to impart certain information through the playing of the game, thereby combining instruction with amusement and'causing such instruction to be reoeived as an incident to the play, vwithout special thought or effort.

The apparatus may be used in a variety of ways or toy play a number of games, and the character and extent of the information may be varied at will.y

Briefly stated, the apparatus comprises a game board divided into equal sections advisably yof contrasting ground or color, each section in turn subdivided `into squares or other relatively small spaces 'of uniform outline and dimensions, said smaller spaces hearing designs, legends, or both, of character to convey the information to be impressed upon the minds of the players; anda set-of markers, cardsor pieces, each bearing a design, legend, or like matter corresponding with that of one or anothervof the smaller Thetwo main divisions ofthe board are separated by two or more rows ofthe smaller' subdivisions, which maybe devoid of designs or legends, this intermediate space constituting abattle ground or field 'on ywhich the Ipreliminary moves of the game are made, and permitting a shifting of theJ markers or pieces in the opening of the play. 'All ther subdivisions except those of the middle field or maneuvering space are utilized, and ybear designs or legends or both, and there is one marker for each space so'provided.' yIn playing the game the markers corresponding to the spaces of each half or ksection of the board are placed upon squares ofthe other' half or section thereof, and the object is to move the respective pieces to the spaces bearing like designs .or legends. The character and extent of movement will be governed by rule, and may be varied toprovide a variety of games.

The dimensions 'of the board, the number of subdivisions, and the character of the designs andy legends may be varied indefinitely. In practice I indit convenient to divide the board into forty-eight equal squares, eight in one direction and six in the other, the two proximate rows of six on .opposite sidesk of the medial line forming the'iield or preliminary maneuvering space; but as indicated these details are variable at will. All

a view showing one of the markers to be used therewith.

By way of illustration merely, i' I have' taken as a basis of the game notable points of scenic beauty and interest east and west of the Mississippi River, which is assumed to flow through the medial eld orv maneuvering space, while the eastern and western sections are bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans respectively. Each subdivision or space of the three outermost rows of each section will bear suitable picture or sketch, or data, or both, giving information concerning the'designated place. y In the western division, for instance, the petried forest of Arizona; the Yellowstone National Park, f

Wyoming; the Sequoia National Park, California; the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; the Grand Canyon, Arizona;

Great Salt Lake, Utah; the Yosemite National Park, California; Casa Grande Ruin, Arizona Mt. Rainier National Park, `Tashington, may be noted as examples. 'Similarly, in the eastern division, the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River; Niagara Falls, New' York; Gettysburg battlefield,

Bridge, Virginia; Watkins Glen, New York; Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Mt. Desert, Maine, and the like, readilysuggest themselves as suitable for. the purpose stated.

` Referring again to the drawing, A indi- Cates the board as a whole, which may be divided at its midlengthk into two sections hinged to fold together, as is common with gameboards.

B indicates the intermediate field or mal10] Pennsylvania; Luray Caverns and Natural`r division.

@EST AVAILABLE COF" 2 neuvering space, and C and D the remaining sections, here represented as the eastern and western divisions. The several sections B, C and D are divided into squares or regular spaces a, Z) and c. The intermediate section field, or maneuvering space B comprises the innermost pair, indicated by c, of the eight transverse rows of squares a and o into which the board is shown divided, the number of rows and the number of divisions or spaces to a row being, however, variable as desired. The spaces c of the intermediate field or maneuvering section are preferably left en tirely blank. The spaces ci and Z), however, bear the designs, data, or both, before referred to. Thus i'n the eastern section the space devoted to Niagara Falls may contain a sketch of the falls with the words Niagara Falls, New York, and such other data or information concerning the same as may be` desired. Similarly, in the western section a space devoted to the Yosemite National Park may contain a picture or sketch of some particular point ot' interest in the park, together with the words Yosemite National Park, Cal, and any further data desired. It is of course to be understood that the illustration, data, or both, may be vvaried indefinitely, and may even be graded in successive boards to suit players of different ages.

For each square or subdivision a and I) of both sections C and D there is a marker, piece, or man, E, of corresponding ground or color and bearing the same picture, legend or data, or any of them, preferably a facsimile of the matter placed upon the square yor section of the board. The markers are preferably of circular form as shown in F 2, and of a diameter to avoid overvvla 1n a iven s ace a or b. as is usual with game boards and markers of this character. In the present instance this has the further advantage of permitting the color or ground `of the section in which the marker may at any time be, to be seen, while the legend, design, or other matter of said spaces a and b is wholly or practically hidden from view by the marker, as indicated by the dotted circle in Fig. 1.

When the game is to be played the markers corresponding to the eastern division are given to the player at the opposite or western division, and those of the western division to the player holding the eastern The play begins by a forward movement of a piece, thereby uncovering a square or space of the division fromwhich the move is made. Movements may be made only to squares or sections unoccupied, and to which access may be had without passing over another marker.

The rules of the game may be varied greatly, either confining the movements to one space forward, laterally or backward, or permitting a continuous movement in varying directions so long as an open pathway is afforded by succeeding vacant spaces. The object of the players is so to move their respective pieces or markers as first to cover the entire field of the opposing player, the movements being in accordance with whatever specific rules are adopted for a game, and the one first covering his opponents field being deemed the winner.

By providing several sets of rules as many different games may be played on the same board and with the same markers. The game may be further varied by playing certain of the games with the markers initially turned face downward, so `that in making the first move or a given number' of moves the player will be in ignorance as to whether he is approaching or moving away from the ultimate home or stopping place of a marker.

'The theory of the game is that constant or frequent sight of given objects and reading of short legends or data, fix in the mind.

of the observer or reader the .appearance of Iu-,h objects and the data concerning them. ha information is impressed upon the mind without effort and almost unconsciously, but is so firmly pictured in a short time that the image or the facts will be retained indefinitely. The game apparatus hence affords a pleasing way of imparting useful informatiom and fixing it in the minds of the players, as scarce any other method of teaching 0r instruction will do. While primarily designed to impart general knowledge or information, the range or field of instruction or of the particular topics or lines of information to be imparted, is practically limitless.

I am aware that various game boards divided into sections and bearing figures or designslegends or data, and thelike, have heretofore been proposed, but so far as I am aware no one has hitherto devised a game board designed to impart and fix in the minds 0f the players, definite and useful information after the manner here proposed. Nor am I aware 0f any prior instance in which the entire field of each player is utilized to receive or contain the information to be imparted, or in which each square or space of the respective playersfields is provided with a special and distinctive design, legend or data, or both, and with a marker corresponding thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimvisz- 1. A game apparatus comprising a board divided into three sections, each section in turn subdivided into similar smaller spaces, said smaller spaces of the two outermost divisions or sections bearing respectively pictures, legends, or data suitable to impart to the players desired information; and a series of markers, one for each subdivision of the tWo outer sections, said markers respeetively bearing' matter identifying them with the different subdivisions, and being of dimensions practically to cover the mat-y ter appearing on any given subdivision.

2. A gaine apparatus comprising a board having a mid-section and two outer sections of distinctively different color or ground separated thereby, the several sections subdivided into uniform smaller spaces, each subdivision of the outer sections bearing pictures, legends, or like means of imparting information; and a series of markers equal in number to the subdivisions of said outer sections, of dimensions practically to cover the matter of said Subdivisions, of Color or ground to correspond therewith, and respectively bearing matter corresponding With that of the several subdivisions.

lIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARA B. OCONNOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

